For the March quarter 2006, there were 100 disputes, 4 more than in the December quarter 2005.

The number of employees involved in industrial disputes in the March quarter 2006 was 18,600, a decrease from 102,600 in the December quarter 2005.

There were 29,600 working days lost due to industrial disputation in the March quarter 2006, a decrease from 81,000 in the December quarter 2005.

The Metal product and Machinery and equipment manufacturing industries accounted for 11,000 (37%) of the total number of working days lost in the March quarter 2006. The Metal product and Machinery and equipment manufacturing industries also had the highest number of working days lost per thousand employees (29.8) for the quarter.

In the March quarter 2006, Victoria accounted for 13,400 (45%) of working days lost. The Australian Capital Territory had the highest number of working days lost per thousand employees (7.1) for the quarter, followed closely by Victoria (6.0).

YEAR ENDED ESTIMATES

During the year ended March 2006, there were 464 disputes, 164 less than in the year ended March 2005.

During the year ended March 2006, there were 212,800 working days lost compared with 344,400 in the year ended March 2005.

NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE (QUARTER)

Release Date

June 2006

7 September 2006

September 2006

7 December 2006

REVISIONS

There are no revisions to data in this issue.

INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.

TABLES

1. Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter

Number of disputes

Employees involved

Commenced in period

Total

Newly involved

Total

Working days lost

no.

no.

'000

'000

'000

March Quarter 2004

177

187

44.6

45.2

80.4

June Quarter 2004

175

190

63.2

65.0

154.2

September Quarter 2004

188

194

56.0

56.2

93.3

December Quarter 2004

142

149

29.6

33.6

51.9

March Quarter 2005

109

119

20.3

20.8

45.1

June Quarter 2005

125

138

50.1

53.4

52.8

September Quarter 2005

144

150

68.1

68.4

49.3

December Quarter 2005

84

96

102.1

102.6

81.0

March Quarter 2006

98

100

18.5

18.6

29.6

2. Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, Industry

December Quarter 2005

March Quarter 2006

Working days lost

Working days lost per thousand employees

Working days lost

Working days lost per thousand employees

'000

'000

Mining

Coal mining

1.1

39.5

0.1

3.9

Other

0.1

0.5

0.1

0.7

Manufacturing

Metal product; Machinery and equipment

15.0

38.9

11.0

29.8

Other

6.4

10.3

4.1

6.7

Construction

23.0

40.1

3.5

5.7

Transport and storage; Communication services

5.7

10.4

7.1

12.4

Education; Health and community services

25.5

15.4

1.3

0.8

Other industries

4.2

0.9

2.4

0.5

All industries

81.0

9.3

29.6

3.4

3. Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, States and territories

December Quarter 2005

March Quarter 2006

Working days lost

Working days lost per thousand employees

Working days lost

Working days lost per thousand employees

'000

'000

New South Wales

24.7

8.7

5.2

1.8

Victoria

33.8

15.3

13.4

6.0

Queensland

7.9

4.6

6.0

3.5

South Australia

1.3

2.0

1.0

1.5

Western Australia

12.0

13.4

2.3

2.5

Tasmania

0.1

0.6

0.6

3.4

Northern Territory

1.1

12.4

-

0.3

Australian Capital Territory

-

0.2

1.2

7.1

Australia

81.0

9.3

29.6

3.4

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

4. Industrial disputes which ended during the quarter(a)

September Quarter 2005

December Quarter 2005

Number of disputes

Employees involved

Working days lost

Number of disputes

Employees involved

Working days lost

no.

'000

'000

no.

'000

'000

CAUSE OF DISPUTE

Enterprise Bargaining (EB) related

Remuneration

26

11.6

9.5

27

11.7

11.7

Employment conditions (EB)

np

-

-

np

0.8

5.9

Other EB related

np

0.2

0.4

4

0.3

0.7

Non-EB related

Remuneration

3

0.1

0.1

3

0.6

0.2

Employment conditions

13

1.4

2.4

np

0.4

0.2

Health and safety

34

7.4

9.4

19

3.1

7.1

Job security

9

1.0

1.7

4

0.6

0.6

Managerial policy

39

3.9

5.0

26

3.0

2.8

Union issues

10

1.2

1.0

3

0.2

0.2

Other non-EB related

np

62.3

31.1

4

83.1

53.4

Total

138

89.1

60.7

94

103.8

82.8

WORKING DAYS LOST PER EMPLOYEE INVOLVED

Up to and including 1 day

75

80.4

41.6

52

97.1

60.7

Over 1 day and up to and including 2 days

36

5.1

8.1

27

4.4

7.0

Over 2 and less than 5 days

22

3.5

9.6

10

1.6

6.2

5 and less than 10 days

np

0.1

1.0

np

0.5

3.5

10 days and over

np

-

0.3

np

0.2

5.4

Total

138

89.1

60.7

94

103.8

82.8

REASON WORK RESUMED

Negotiation without intervention of a third party

35

5.0

5.9

18

3.2

4.3

State legislation

10

1.3

2.7

9

0.9

1.2

Federal legislation

16

3.3

7.3

15

2.0

10.1

Pre-determined return to work

25

3.0

3.4

18

5.2

5.0

Resumption without negotiation

40

75.6

39.8

25

90.7

58.5

Mediation

9

0.7

1.5

np

1.7

3.7

Other reasons

3

0.2

0.2

np

0.2

0.1

Total

138

89.1

60.7

94

103.8

82.8

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

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